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' (No Model.)

' 'R. J. PATT ON-.

YTORPEDO SIGNAL .HOLDERJ No. 381,277.. Patented Apr. 17,1888.

N PETERS, Phowumogfl her. Wulinghm. li a I section, of the holder.

. UNITED STATES-- ROBERT JiPATTON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

PATENT Q CEQ QTORPEDQ-SIGNAL:HOLDER.

SPECIFICA-EION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,277, dated April 111888., Y Application filed November 28, 1887. Serial No. 256,389. (No model l 7 To all whom it'mrty concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. PATTON, of

Waterbury, in'the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo- Signal Hlders,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide train-men with a convenient device that will enable the one whose duty it may be to signal a moving train to move without unnecessary delay in providing himself with the usual larly hereinafter described, and pointed out in I the claims.

Referringto the drawings,Figure 1 is a viewof a flag-staff provided with my'improved holder. Fig. 2 is a plan 'view of the holder on enlarged scale and with the cover removed. Fig. 3 is a detailview, iu ceutral longitudinal' In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes the flagstaft, of the size and naterial in common use on railzoad-trainawith a flag, b, of 7 any suitable and usual color for use as a warning-signal. l/Vhen for any reason a train stops at a point.not astation, or not provided for in the schedule, it'becomes the duty of a brake man to go back along the track. a certain dis tance to warn by/the flag or torpedo any'approaching train of, the obstruction, and flags for such purpose are carried on the rear car of'each train.

in the great haste necessary in many cases to get back asufficient distance to stop the following train in time no caps are taken, and

a then dependence must be placed on the use of the flag alone as a means of attracting the attention of the engine-driver or the fireman, and in some instances this has not been enough.

The holder 0, that is of proper size tocontain several of the caps or explosive signals d,

that are of a standard and nearly uniform A supply of dynamite caps or. track-signals is also provided; but these must be taken by the signal-man in his pockets, and

taken the caps may also be taken,with nodesize, is secured tot'he flag-staff, andthe' caps are stored therein, so that when theflag is layin looking them up in another'place. I The holder 0 is preferably of. thin metal, spun to 7 Shape with the integral shank '0, thatis hollow .to fit upon the end of the staff, and to which it is fastened, a s-bynails or screws, and the removable cap or cover 0 is fastened to cover and enter the angular slotfin the body,

of the holder. This catch or fastening issimilar to the well-known bayonet-catch, a partial. rotation of the cap when the pins are in the slots carrying them along the part of the slot that is in the plane'of the cap in place.

.In order to prevent the signal caps from" rotation and locking shaking. about in theholder, a spring may be secured to-the under sideof the cover, so-as to press upon the caps and hold them with a myself to. any particular means of attaching .to a sufficient extent to enable the caps to be taken out of the holder; andI do not limit V the cover to theholder or securing it in place. 1 7

Instead of cutting the locking-slots through the body of the holder, they may be formed mortise.

integral by pressing out an angular Iclaim as myoinventions 1. .In combination with a portable flag-staff,

a torpedo carrier having a removable cover,

all substantially as described. 2. In combinationwith a portable a, a torpedo-carrier, a, secured thereto by its shank c, the said holder having a removable cap or'cover, 0 with a projecting pinadapted to engage an angular slot in the body of the holder, all substantially as described;

.3. v In combination with theportable flagstaff removably secured to the'holder and bearing a spring projecting within the body of the Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Bunnn'mr, ARTHUR B. J ENKINs.

the body of the holder by meanspf headed N pins e, that project from the-flange of the a, the holder a, secured thereto, and the cover 0 

